Federal officials have disclosed the arrest of an alleged illegal immigrant in Portland, Indiana. Immigration agents apprehended Selah Dine Habib, originally from Mauritania in northwest Africa. He was arrested on May 21 after reportedly entering the U.S. with a ‘fraudulent’ asylum claim and later finding employment as a taxpayer-funded corrections officer.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Habib was released into the United States by the Biden administration in 2023. He claimed asylum based on his sexuality as a homosexual, but investigators later found he married a woman after arriving in the U.S.
Local outlet WIBC initially reported on the case, revealing that the woman Habib married was the daughter of the county sheriff. Subsequently, Habib became employed at the county jail as a correctional officer. The Jay County Sheriff’s Department confirmed his employment and noted he had provided employment authorization documents and passed a federal E-Verify check during hiring.
The DHS remarked that Habib’s asylum application appears fraudulent due to his marriage in 2025. He is currently held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Clay County Jail in Indiana, facing removal proceedings.
“He entered the country illegally in March 2023 near Lukeville, Arizona, and was released into the country by the Biden administration,” DHS stated. “He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”
A spokesperson for the Jay County Auditor’s Office confirmed that Habib had submitted proper documentation and passed initial employment screenings. The office emphasized any discrepancies with E-Verify would have stopped the hiring process.
Habib is contesting the deportation order, according to WIBC sources. His case raises questions about hiring practices and the integrity of background checks for law enforcement positions.